Charred laundry basket leads to arson arrest

OCEANSIDE 
A woman was arrested on suspicion of arson after a laundry basket full of clothing that was set afire on her porch spread to the apartment building Friday night, Oceanside fire officials said.

The woman called 911 reporting the fire about 9 p.m. at the complex on Vine Street near Minnesota Avenue, telling the dispatcher that she had been burning something in the backyard and it had grown out of control, said Oceanside Fire Batallion Chief Rob Dunham.

Before firefighters arrived, a man who lives in the unit and a neighbor were able to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher.

The woman later denied setting the fire intentionally, saying she had dropped a cigarette near a gasoline can. But fire investigators discovered a charred laundry basket near the sliding door and the plastic gas can, Dunham said.

The blaze damaged the unit’s exterior walls and the underside of an overhanging balcony.